Movie #64 - The Accused

"The first scream was for help. The second is for justice."

This movie was one of the critically acclaimed films of 1988, for which Jodie Foster won an Oscar as Best Actress. The film contrasted one of the up and coming actresses of the early to late 80's in Foster with one of the more accomplished veteran actresses in Kelly McGillis.

The storyline of this movie is quite disheartening - following a rape victim's trial to seek justice from the rapists and people who did nothing to help her. The movie is about the trial to charge the spectators who not only avoided helping Foster's character, but also cheered the rapists on to continue their heinous act.

Foster gives a powerful performance portraying the victim, but McGillis is a convincing female DA and shows her true acting prowess - especially absent a strong leading actor role in this film. Many of McGillis' films from this era had her opposite the protagonist male character - this movie allows her to excel on her own without the male lead.

Unfortunately, McGillis' career began to fizzle once the 90's hit, while Foster has been banking on her achievements alongside Anthony Hopkins in the Silence of the Lambs. McGillis has done a number of television show appearances in the last 20 years, but nothing compares to her run in the mid to late 80's - Top Gun, Witness, and The Accused. Guess it was just too much too fast, but thankfully, I married a pseudo Kelly McGillis clone - so no worries from my point of view.